JURY ACQUITS 1 DEFENDANT IN SHOOTING DEATH OF CUOMO AIDE

On behalf of Marianne Bertuna of Aidala Bertuna & Kamins posted in Violent Crimes on Tuesday July 31, 2018.

On July 23, a New York jury acquitted one defendant charged in the death of a former aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The jury remains deadlocked on two other defendants charged with the man’s shooting in 2015.

The defendant was found not guilty on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon. The jury informed the judge that they couldn’t reach a decision on two other defendants. In response, the judge ordered them to continue deliberating.

According to prosecutors, the three male defendants fired shots at members of a rival gang during Brooklyn’s J’Ouvert Festival in September 2015. One of the bullets hit a male bystander in the head. He was transported to a hospital and died nine days later. Authorities said that seven different weapons were used during the shooting, and they could not determine who was responsible for firing the deadly shot. In all, five men were arrested in connection to the shooting. One defendant accepted a plea deal in exchange for testifying against the others. Another defendant accused of firing his gun at the festival was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon earlier in July. He was found not guilty on murder charges. His attorney admitted that he fired his weapon, but claimed that he did so in self-defense. He faces up to 15 years in prison.

People who have been charged with violent crimes could help their situation by meeting with a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. An attorney could evaluate the evidence and work to establish a strong defense against the charges, which could help the defendant obtain an acquittal. In some cases, legal counsel could also negotiate an agreement that allows the defendant to plead guilty to reduced charges.